Post by Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

🚀 A new step forward for battery-free wearable sensing! KAIST researchers have developed a next-generation self-powered wearable sensor that can stretch up to 668% while maintaining stable electrical signals. Led by Professor Miso Kim from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the research team created a highly stretchable piezoelectric fiber sensor that performs reliably under repeated stretching, bending, pressing, and impact. 🧵 The team introduced a hierarchical resilient design that strengthens the sensor from the material level to the electrode interface and overall structure. Key innovations include: 🌀 Coil and knot structures for extreme stretchability 🔗 Stable electrode–piezoelectric interfaces to prevent signal degradation 🧩 Elastic microparticles inside nanofibers that help the sensor recover its shape 🤖 AI-based signal analysis to distinguish motions such as pressing, bending, and stretching 💡 This lightweight, flexible, battery-free sensor could open new possibilities for long-term wearable medical devices, electronic skins, digital healthcare devices, and sensory systems for soft robots. 📌 The research, with Yong Jun Choi as first author, was published in ACS Nano on March 10, 2026. Exciting to see how next-generation materials and smart sensor design are bringing us closer to more comfortable, reliable, and sustainable wearable technologies. #KAIST #WearableTechnology #SelfPoweredSensor #Piezoelectric #DigitalHealthcare #ElectronicSkin #SoftRobotics #MaterialsScience #ACSNano #Innovation